Municipal Teachers on strike are against attack on Social Security

The municipal teachers of São Paulo, on strike since 8th of March, held a strong demonstration on Tuesday (13), in front of the City Council in protest against the increase in the contribution rate of Social Security in the municipal sphere. The category was prevented from accompanying the session in the House and was received with repression and violence. Part was able to enter the building, but police brutally attacked them.

Moment of repression inside Council

 

Repression on streets

 

Priscila Lirios, a teacher of early childhood education (CEI in portuguese), who composes the strike command and is part of the CSP-Conlutas “Reviravolta” Movement, highlighted the strength and resistance of the category against this attack. “One part of the strike command was able to get in and another part continues in this confrontation. Since yesterday, they have comrades encamped in front of the House”, he said.

It is expected that the Constitution Committee will analyze the text of the bill on Wednesday (14) and the vote may be placed as a matter of urgency and voted today.

Since yesterday, the city councilors try to put on the agenda the discussion of the project, but with the pressure of the teachers, they failed to move the session. A camp was set up by the teachers in front of the Council.

On Thursday (15) a public hearing will take place and on this same day the teachers organized by Sinpeem (Union of Municipal Teachers of São Paulo) will appear in weight in a new protest in front of the Chamber, with the participation of at least 70 thousand public servers.

Segments of health, where the mayor Joao Doria intends to close at least 90 AMAS (Basic Health Units); bus drivers, are also being attacked by Doria management, which wants to cut bus lines; postal workers on strike, among others, will also increase the protest.

Reasons for the educators’ strike

The project that alters the welfare of the São Paulo municipal teachers, the “SampaPrev”, is the cause of the mobilization of educators, who decided to strike against this project on March 8.

 

 

The strike has 93% of schools, and 46% of 1,500 schools have been totally stopped. The partially unemployed schools represent 47% of this total, according to a survey by the Education Department of management Joao Doria (PSDB).

The reform underway in the Chamber foresees raising the social security contribution from 11% to 14%, in addition to the institution of additional contribution linked to the salary of the server. Thus, the discount could reach 18.2%, according to the City Hall.

The bill that could change the welfare of municipal officials was referred to the Chamber by former Mayor Fernando Haddad (PT) in 2015. The pressure from the servers caused the project to be withdrawn in 2016. However, Haddad sent the request back to the House before handing over the position to the current manager, João Doria (PSDB). The City Hall, in December 2017, reissued text making it even more harmful and now wants to approve it at all costs.

The version sent by the PT management provided for an additional contribution varying from 1% to 5%, distributed across all salary ranges. In the version reissued by pemedebista management, a single rate of 5% is stipulated for employees who earn above the INSS ceiling (R $ 5,531.31) and the rate will be calculated on the amount that exceeds this ceiling.

Resistance

The teacher points out that this project follows the line of what has been happening in other states and municipalities, where governments try to push reforms, following the national example of President Michel Temer (MDB). “We can not back down, we have been able to take Michel Temer’s (MDB) government pension reform out of the agenda, but we do not have confidence because we know that it can return to the agenda after the elections. In this sense, the same has happened with the attempt of reform in the municipal sphere. The councilmen have said that they do not back down, and we, too, are prepared not to raise, therefore, the radicalization and the hatred of the category”, he stressed.

“We know that Doria wants to be a gubernatorial candidate and wants to show that what Temer could not do, the PSDB Party can achieve in Sao Paulo. That is why only resistance can defeat this attack”, Priscilla explained.

The teacher also said that there is an attempt by city councilors, even more to the left, to try to push the old project, Haddad management, but warns: “What we have to do is rip this Sampaprev. It has palliative measures of other councilors in an attempt to soften the project, but we do not accept any additives”, he concluded.

CSP-Conlutas and International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles supports the struggle of these workers and reinforces the call for their affiliated entities to join the resistance.

Not to Sampaprev!

Out with Doria!

Out with Temer!